May 2, 2011

This morning I walked outside and was greeted by north winds, cool temperatures and lower humidity. The birds were very active today just about everywhere! A flock of Cedar Waxwings flew in to check if there were any ripe mulberries on the tree. Carolina Chickadees and Carolina Wrens attended to begging youngsters. It was the best species total of the spring - 51. There were no FOS (first of season) birds today, but quite a variety. I'm looking forward to walking down in the morning with these stronger north winds and see what all stayed overnight!

Some of the more interesting sightings today were large flocks of swallows flying low over the trees feeding. I couldn't see what kind of insect they were preying on, but they were going after something. I kept expecting two of them to run into each other as fast as they were flying, but never saw a collision. A lone Anhinga flew overhead. There were three female and one male Rose-breasted Grosbeak at the feeders in the woods. They seem to like peanuts. While walking along the gully, a Belted Kingfisher flew in and announced his presence with his rattle call.

My BirdCam was quite active today. I put an empty card in around 4:00 on Sunday. At 6:00 pm tonight, it had 370 pictures on it! Here are a couple of my favorites:

American Redstart (female), Red-eyed Vireo (on fence), Baltimore Oriole, Tufted Titmouse, Black-and-white Warbler (right)

American Redstart (male)

And one from yesterday:

Golden-winged Warbler - a near-threatened warbler species

I have been very pleased with my BirdCam this spring! I'm glad I was able to provide some water for the birds. It's the best way to get photos of the widest variety of birds, but it also provides water that is hard to find with the drought conditions.

You can see all of my BirdCam images here.

Birds Seen 5/2/11 (51 species): Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Anhinga, Great Egret, White Ibis, Turkey Vulture, Mississippi Kite, Cooper's Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, White-winged Dove, Mourning Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Common Nighthawk, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, White-eyed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, Cliff Swallow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Eastern Bluebird, Swainson's Thrush, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, Golden-winged Warbler, Northern Parula, Yellow Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, Common Yellowthroat, Hooded Warbler, Summer Tanager, Northern Cardinal, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Baltimore Oriole, House Sparrow

Spring Migration Peaks

The peak of spring migration began with a flurry of activity on the property! On Sunday afternoon, the variety of birds was really good. I saw 39 species with 10 FOS (first of season) birds. On Monday, the activity seemed to slow down, but I still saw 42 species with three FOS birds. Over the two days, I saw 54 species. The birdbath in the woods is really attracting a lot of attention. Here are a couple of male Baltimore Orioles that were photographed with my BirdCam. And an Indigo Bunting.


I have been watching a Barred Owl on a nest all spring. On the 15th, we could see movement in the nest, so we knew there was at least one baby in there. On Sunday, I walked along the trail and one of the babies was sitting on the edge of the nest, and I could see another in the nest. Here is what the baby Barred Owl looked like as he posed for his photo!


The Eastern Bluebirds had five babies and all five fledged on Tuesday, April 26. I'll be watching for the babies at my birdbath. In a couple of weeks, I should see nesting activity again as the adults start their second brood.

One of the most surprising finds on the property this spring didn't involve birds at all. While out birding on April 15, my friend and I went down to the old pond. We saw a Yellow-crowned Night-heron sitting on a branch low over the water. After he flew away, we walked to the edge of the water hoping to see some Wood Ducks. What we found were nine baby alligators with a six foot mama alligator! After locating the mother, we enjoyed looking at them!

Birds seen April 24 & 25, 2011 (54 species):
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Little Blue Heron, White Ibis, Black Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, White-winged Dove, Mourning Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Barred Owl, Common Nighthawk, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Eastern Kingbird, White-eyed Vireo, Blue-headed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Eastern Bluebird, Swainson's Thrush, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Blue-winged Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Northern Parula, Yellow Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, Worm-eating Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Hooded Warbler, Summer Tanager, Northern Cardinal, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Painted Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Baltimore Oriole, House Sparrow

Quick Walk at the End of March

I took a quick walk in the woods on Monday. I didn't have a lot of time to spend birding. Fortunately it's still early in the spring, so I'm not missing a whole lot yet! The Barred Owl was in the same place he always is along the trail. It is fun to see him when I go down there. There are still quite a few winter residents around - Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Yellow-rumped Warbler, House Wren, American Goldfinch and White-throated Sparrow. The White-throated Sparrows are eating something in the trees. I regularly see them several feet up in the trees. As far as the spring migrants, I saw several Chimney Swifts flying over. I need to get on the roof and take the cover off my chimney. Purple Martins and Barn Swallows flew overhead feeding on flying insects. In the woods there were several Northern Parulas. I saw three at a time just west of the new pond. I heard a Hooded Warbler singing and finally found him in some of the thick understory. The warbler numbers should begin increasing significantly over the next couple of weeks. Indigo Buntings have begun to come into the area, so I should start seeing them at the feeders in the woods soon.

We have Eastern Bluebirds nesting again. The pair that had nested in my aunt's box were killed by a House Sparrow a month ago. Another pair has five eggs in the box in my yard now. I killed a wasp out of the box at Mom's, so I need to go over and check to see if that box is being utilized.

Birds Seen 3/28/11 (24 species):
Turkey Vulture, Mourning Dove, Barred Owl, Chimney Swift, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, White-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, Purple Martin, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carlina Wren, House Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Eastern Bluebird, Northern Parula, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Hooded Warbler, White-throated Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow

Spring!

Leaves are coming in on the trees. Warmer temperatures are here. My yard needs to be mowed. Birds are singing. All signs that spring is here! I have been walking in the woods as often as possible. On March 7 I saw the first Northern Parula of the season. They are typically the first of the wood warblers to migrate into the area. They nest in a tree right on the property line. It has a lot of Spanish moss. They build their nests in the tufts of moss. I have seen Purple Martins, Northern Rough-winged Swallows and Tree Swallows so far. Hooded Warblers, Black-and-white Warblers, Yellow-throated Warblers and Louisiana Waterthrushes should be showing up anytime now. A pair of Eastern Bluebirds has taken up residence in the nest box in our yard. Their nest was completed on Monday. I keep checking for an egg, but none so far. I've got my sparrow spooker ready to put on as soon as I see an egg in the nest. The Purple Martins that nested in my gourds last year haven't returned yet. I'm anxious for them to be back! I'm going to take the cover off my chimney this year and allow Chimney Swifts to nest in it. As new houses are constructed, metal flues instead of clay have been used leading to a loss of "habitat" for Chimney Swifts and their population has dwindled. So, I'm going to do my part to help out. I wish I could build a Chimney Swift tower, but it is cost-prohibitive.

I have checked my BirdCam at the feeders in the woods regularly, but only have Red-winged Blackbirds, Northern Cardinals, Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice and Carolina Wrens. Indigo Buntings should start showing up next week and Painted Buntings should show up a week after that. They really show up in good numbers the second week of April along with Blue Grosbeaks and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. I should get all of them at my feeders. I've been researching what I can feed to attract orioles and tanagers. I've read sunflower hearts for tanagers and suet or fruit for orioles. I'll have all that down there to see what shows up. I hope that some of the warblers find the Bark Butter and get their picture taken by the BirdCam.

I watched a couple of Red-shouldered Hawks flying around along the gully and found their nest. I hope I can get close enough with my camera to get some shots when they're feeding the chicks. That will be fun!

Several winter birds are still around. When I was walking yesterday, I saw Hermit Thrush, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglets and American Goldfinches. It's a fun time of year to go birding!

Birds Seen 3/15 & 3/17 (38 species):
Great Egret, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, Mourning Dove, Barred Owl, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Downy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Phoebe, White-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Orange-crowned Warbler, Northern Parula, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Great-tailed Grackle, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow

Project FeederWatch Week 16 and Other Stuff

Project FeederWatch numbers are down this week and last week. This is the time of year that I would rather be out in the woods seeing what spring migrants are coming through rather than watching my feeders. The American Goldfinch numbers have decreased significantly over the past two weeks. They went from 57 over the weekend of 2/13 to 24 over the weekend of 2/20 to six over the weekend of 2/27. I still have a good number of Song Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos at my feeders. Pine Warblers are still coming to the suet, but it won't be long before they abandon the feeders. The Red-winged Blackbird numbers dwindled some, but there are still quite a few Brown-headed Cowbirds that visit my ground feeder. There was nothing out of the ordinary captured by my BirdCam in the woods last week. I walked down yesterday to fill the feeders and watch them for a little bit. An Orange-crowned Warbler is still coming to the Bark Butter. There were still several American Goldfinches on the feeders. White-throated Sparrows are cleaning up what was spilled on the ground.

I am anxiously awaiting the spring migrants. So far the only ones I've seen are Purple Martins flying overhead. "My" martins haven't returned yet. These are the earliest dates I've seen for the following wood warblers: Northern Parula, March 9; Hooded Warbler, March 16; and Black-and-white Warbler, March 13. Those are typically the first wood warbler migrants on the Upper Texas Coast. The rest come through during April and into the first couple of weeks of May. I am trying a new position for my BirdCam to capture images from three feeders at one time. I should be able to get some good shots of Indigo Buntings, Painted Buntings, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, and Blue Grosbeaks as they visit the feeders. It's possible Summer Tanagers, Baltimore Orioles and warblers will visit the suet. This is the first year I've had the feeders in the woods during spring migration, so I really don't know what to expect to see.

After discovering the two bluebird bodies in the nest that the House Sparrow killed, I removed the sparrow nest and opened the box to encourage the sparrow to move on. I left it open for a week and think the sparrow decided to move to my martin house. He's been singing out there for a while. I closed the bluebird box and on my way to work yesterday saw a male bluebird sitting on the top of the box. There has been a pair checking out the box in our yard. I haven't gone over to Mom's to see if there is any activity at the box in her yard. It's still a little early for bluebirds to actually nest, but they're checking out their options.

A Renewed Hatred for House Sparrows

Yesterday, I went out and got my Purple Martin housing ready for their return. A customer told me that the Eastern Bluebirds on her property have already begun making nests in her boxes. I decided to go and check out the box that the bluebirds have used over the past four years. As I walked toward the box, a male House Sparrow flew out. I opened the box and he had already begun constructing a nest. It was obviously a sparrow nest and not the neat, compact nest a bluebird makes. I pulled the nest out and when I did, two bluebird bodies fell out of the box. I examined them and they both had the classic look of a sparrow kill. He probably watched for them to enter the box and then went in and killed them. He built the nest on top of their bodies. I will begin this weekend a new effort to rid the world of as many House Sparrows as possible. I modified my trap to keep the blackbirds and larger birds out and will begin trapping again. I hate House Sparrows!

Project FeederWatch Update & New Property Birds

Quite a bit has been going on lately with the birds on the property. Unfortunately with all that has been going on in my life, I haven't had a chance to write about it!

With Project FeederWatch, the species count at my feeders has remained pretty steady, between 23 and 27. I've been amazed at the number of Dark-eyed Juncos that are still coming to my feeders. Most years I don't see any. This year I've got at least two most of the time in the yard, and sometimes as many as six. Song Sparrows are quite abundant as well. On my last two count days, there were seven of them on the feeders. The American Goldfinch numbers really picked up on January 23 and 24. I counted six the week before that. There have been at least 50 over the next weeks, with a high of 70 on the Feb. 6 and 7 count days. Probably the most exciting bird for me this year is the female Purple Finch (pictured) that showed up at the feeders in the woods. I had my BirdCam set up on the big tube feeder on January 26. I got the memory card on the 29th and saw her pictures. She makes property bird #198 for me. Purple Finches are rare on the Upper Texas Coast, showing up occasionally in the winter.

In other bird news, I still regularly see an American Woodcock when I'm walking in the woods. He usually sits alongside the trail until I get close and the he flushes, normally scaring me. This morning he flushed and flew straight ahead of me giving me excellent looks at him. Along the final stretch of the trail to the feeders this morning, I could hear a bird making a call I was not familiar with. It was an Eastern Towhee sitting at the top of one of the thick brush piles. That's not a bird I normally see in the woods. That was fun to see him. The birds are beginning to sing as the weather warms up. Cardinals, Tufted Titmice, White-eyed Vireos, White-throated Sparrows and Pine Warblers are getting tuned up for their spring songs. I have seen two Barred Owls along the trail that runs alongside the gully near where I put up the nesting box for them. The first time I saw them, they flew toward the box. I got to the box and saw something sticking out of the hole and got excited until I realized it was a raccoon. I don't know why he was in there, but I sure am hoping it wasn't to raid the nest.

So far this year, I have seen 50 species of birds. I am looking forward to spring!